Flying ant?

[pricklypear]

In Salt Lake City; yard has zero grass; xeriscaped with native and other plants suitable for hot, dry climate.  Sorry, no photo.  Insect size approx. 1/4"; solid dark color; single winged; wings length of body; body three segments (head, mid, rear); look much like ants.  Unique habit: they swarm by the hundreds all along front of house; within 1"-6" from any surface... especially windows, rusted metal sun, and wooden furniture.  Rarely do any of them land.  They just continually buzz around the same areas ALL during daylight hours.  As the sunlight gradually ends they go away, I know not where, only to return the next day and continue the same habits. Don't bite; if one lands it's usually for only a second or two. 

Are these insects good to have around due to native plants?  Are they harmful in any way?  What to do if they are.  Thanks to anyone who knows the answer. 

[kevinkk]

Probably not ants. Sounds more like some kind of fly. Flying ants do swarm, but tend to pour out and take to the air during still mornings or evenings,
not all day, and they are going off to make more ants, and would leave to do that.

[Adam Cotton]

If they only have a single wing on each side of the body they must be Diptera of some kind. All other winged insects have 2 pairs of wings, as far as I remember.

I agree with kevinkk, they are unlikely to be ants, or termites either. Those would emerge and fly off, not return to the same place each day.

I suspect whatever they are, they are attracted by something around your house - maybe food but also possibly something that is fooling them into flying around, possibly an effect of the light reflecting on some surfaces. Insects see different wavelengths of light to us, so they may see something that we cannot.

Adam.

[pricklypear]

Thanks to both of you. I'll look through Diptera pictures and see if I can find a match.